A group of Palestinian Jerusalemite Muslim men, numbering in the hundreds, who consider it their religious and sacred duty to serve as self-appointed volunteer protectors of al-Aqsa Mosque. Deriving their name from the Arabic word ribat, “fortress,” the Murabitun (sing. Murabit) work as a civic committee and dedicate their lives to protecting al-Aqsa. They also work to increase scholarly learning of Islamic principles and support those who want to perform i‘tikaf.
The Murabitun also monitor Jewish visitation to al-Aqsa, trying to prevent Jewish prayer in the area, in accordance with the long-established Status Quo.
The Murabitun have repeatedly been detained and imprisoned. In 2015, Israeli authorities declared the group illegal and banned its members from al-Haram al-Sharif during visiting hours.
The term Murabitun applied to many different groups throughout history, first in Africa, then in Spain.
See also Murabitat.